Professor Balwant Singh

Map

Biographical details

Dr Balwant Singh is a Professor in Soil Chemistry in the Faculty of Agriculture & Environment at the University of Sydney. He joined the university in 1998 from the University of Reading where he was a lecturer in soil mineralogy. His teaching and research interests are in the environmental soil chemistry. More specifically, his research focus is on understanding the (i) mineral-organic interactions in soils; (ii) potential of biochar in long-term carbon storage and improving soil properties; and (iii) structural and chemical properties of soil clay minerals and sorption-desorption reactions of toxic element (so called heavy metals) on mineral surfaces.

Research interests

(i) Mineral-organic interactions in soils
Soil organic matter (SOM) represents the largest terrestrial carbon pool. It includes a diverse range of organic compounds with highly variable – composition, inherent stability and turnover rates in soils. The mineralisation of SOM has a major impact on the global carbon cycle and for this reason there is increased focus on maximising carbon sequestration in soil and understanding the stabilisation mechanisms of SOM.
The stability or longevity of organic matter in soils can be enhanced by the formation of organo-mineral associations between domains of SOM particles and the mineral surfaces. The association of SOM with soil minerals can be influenced by mineral size, surface functional groups, specific surface area and porosity of the minerals involved in the process.
Research focus of Prof Singh’s group is on understanding the nature of the organic-mineral in natural soils, and pure minerals and organic compounds. Advanced laboratory and spectroscopic techniques, such as NEXAFS, XPS and FTIR, are used in the research. There is active research collaboration with the scientists from CSIRO Land and Water Adelaide laboratory.

(ii) Potential of biochar in long-term carbon storage and improving soil properties
Biochar has been suggested as a soil amendment for agronomic and environmental benefits; however, many of these claims have not been properly established. Prof Singh’s group has made substantial contributions in this emerging field, for example, (i) laboratory experiments demonstrated biochars’ potential to reduce N2O emissions and N leaching from soils; (ii) characterisation of biochars, produced from different feedstocks and at different pyrolysis temperatures, for a range of chemical and agronomic properties; (iii) biochars potential to reduce the plant availability of some heavy metals. Laboratory incubation experiments have established that biochar stability is governed by biomass, pyrolysis temperature, soil properties and the incubation temperature.
Prof Singh’s research team is part of ‘The national Biochar Initiative II ‒ A country wide approach to biochar systems consortium’ and he leads the University of Sydney research team. The NBI research consortium consists of researchers from CSIRO Land and Water, University of Tasmania and NSW Department of Primary Industries; additionally Prof Singh collaborates with Professor Cliff Johnston at Purdue University on the application of advanced spectroscopic (FTIR, Raman and DTG-FTIR) techniques for the characterisation of biochar and soil organic matter.

(iii) Structural and chemical properties of soil clay minerals
Prof Singh’s research has established that a major proportion of heavy metals are associated with goethite, involving adsorption or co-precipitation processes. He also established that kaolinite is the dominant clay mineral in highly weathered soils of Australia, and soil kaolinites have much higher reactivity than geological and reference kaolinites. His research produced direct and unambiguous evidence of the substitution of heavy metals (Cr3+, Cd2+, Cu2+, Mn3+, Ni2+) in goethite using synchrotron based techniques. More recently, the research group has established that multiple metals can co-exist in goethite structure and the extent of substitution is different to single metal species systems. These advances are of environmental and economic significance, since goethite is the most common and abundant iron mineral in soils.
Based on his application of synchrotron techniques to the study of soil minerals, he was invited to edit the book “Advances in the application of synchrotron-based techniques in soils and sediments” that was published by Elsevier in 2010.

Teaching and supervision

Prof Singh teaches soil chemistry and soil fertility sections in four soil science units of study offered to undergraduate students. He co-ordinates an introductory soil science unit ‘Soil Properties and Soil Processes’ that is offered to second year BScAgr, BEnvSys and BSc students.

(a) Fellow and member of the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain since 1994.
(b) Member of the Clay Minerals Society (USA) of since 1994.
(c) Life member of the British Society of Soil Science.
(d) Member of the Australian Society of Soil Science since 1998.
(e) Member of the Soil Science Society of America since 2009.
(e) Member of the International Union of Soil Science 1994
(g) Life Member of the Indian Society of Soil Science since 1981.
(h) Member of American Chemical Society over 5 years.
(i) Member of the International Biochar Initiative

International links

United States

(Purdue University)
Collaboration with Professor Cliff Johnston at Purdue University on the application of advanced spectroscopic (FTIR, Raman and DTG-FTIR) techniques for the characterisation of biochar and soil organic matter.

Molecular-level characterization of organic structures in biochar aged at different temperature in contrasting soils using NEXAFS spectroscopy. 5 days (1 May-6 May 2012) beamtime on the Soft X-ray beamline at the Australian Synchrotron.; Singh B; Australian Synchrotron/Funding Application for Interstate User Groups.

Development and optimization of combined plant/microbe technologies for bioremediation of soils contaminated with hydrocarbons and heavy metals; Singh B, Coleman N; Department of Industry, Innovation and Science/Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF).

Bennett, J., Cattle, S., Singh, B. (2015). The Efficacy of Lime, Gypsum and Their Combination to Ameliorate Sodicity in Irrigated Cropping Soils in the Lachlan Valley of New South Wales. Arid Land Research and Management, 29(1), 17-40. [More Information]

Bedrossian, S., Singh, B. (2004). Potassium Adsorption Characteristics And Potassium Forms In Some New South Wales Soils In Relation To Early Senescence In Cotton. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 42(7), 747-753.

Niazi, N., Singh, B., Van Zwieten, L., Kachenko, A. (2010). A comparative study to evaluate the phytoremediation potential of two fern species for the remediation of an arsenic contaminated site under field conditions. 7th International Conference on Phytotechnologies "Phytotechnologies in the 21st century: challenges after Copenhagen 2009.

Niazi, N., Singh, B., Bishop, T. (2010). A geostatistical model based approach to evaluate spatial variability of arsenic in soil and to compare arsenic hyperaccumulation efficiency of two fern species. 7th International Conference on Phytotechnologies "Phytotechnologies in the 21st century: challenges after Copenhagen 2009.

Bennett, J., Cattle, S., Singh, B. (2015). The Efficacy of Lime, Gypsum and Their Combination to Ameliorate Sodicity in Irrigated Cropping Soils in the Lachlan Valley of New South Wales. Arid Land Research and Management, 29(1), 17-40. [More Information]

Niazi, N., Singh, B., Van Zwieten, L., Kachenko, A. (2010). A comparative study to evaluate the phytoremediation potential of two fern species for the remediation of an arsenic contaminated site under field conditions. 7th International Conference on Phytotechnologies "Phytotechnologies in the 21st century: challenges after Copenhagen 2009.

Niazi, N., Singh, B., Bishop, T. (2010). A geostatistical model based approach to evaluate spatial variability of arsenic in soil and to compare arsenic hyperaccumulation efficiency of two fern species. 7th International Conference on Phytotechnologies "Phytotechnologies in the 21st century: challenges after Copenhagen 2009.

Bedrossian, S., Singh, B. (2004). Potassium Adsorption Characteristics And Potassium Forms In Some New South Wales Soils In Relation To Early Senescence In Cotton. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 42(7), 747-753.